Redemption
by PWRDOWN
Summary: AU: After the death of her parents, Paige disappears from Rosewood. Several years later, Emily notices a mysterious girl roaming around the McCullers estate.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

It was raining.

Truly, it was a downpour; heavy liquids from the darkened skies casting upon Earth. The weather seemed appropriate for this kind of event, as the few people surrounding the rectangular hole in the terra firma had dressed in black. One or two of the few people had tear-streaked faces, and I couldn't understand why. I was the one who lost my family. While they could go home and tell their families how depressing this funeral was, hug and kiss their families goodnight, I was the one who would go to an empty home with no one to comfort me; no one to tell me that things will be fine, no one to hold and caress me as I cry. No one.

I couldn't figure out which was worse; the mourning of my mother and father or the overly sympathetic expressions on everyone's bland face as they stared at me from the other side of the mahogany caskets.

I wanted them to go away.

They were not here for my parents, they were here for themselves; a good look for the town of Rosewood to see – that they were capable of mourning, that they, of course, cared, but in reality didn't. I know that if my parents were here they wouldn't approve. But the harsh actuality reminds me that they were never returning.

I felt a cool, wet hand on my shoulder, instinctively, I flinched, but I look up only to see the reverend, "We're ready to lower the caskets, Ms. McCullers," He said gently, "Do you need another minute?" I shook my head 'no', "Are you sure? We can wait if you would like to—"

"Thank you, Reverend, but I'm ready," I said as calmly as I could muster, but my voice had deceived me, sounding weak and fragile.

He seemed to hesitate, but nodded, "If you say, Ms. McCullers," I could hear him baiting again for me to change my mind, but when I said nothing, he nodded again, "All right," He took his hand from my shoulder and walked towards a group of men dressed in grey jumpsuits, "She's ready," He said to them and they nodded, it was their job anyways.

I watched the four of them walk to my where my parents lied soundly in their caskets. They kneeled into the damp soil and began lowering the suspension that held the caskets above the hole in the ground. As they descended into the earth, I thought of their words to me when I first entered grade school, my first step into growing up:

"Be good, Paige, we love you,"

My heart wrenched to the thought; I would only have memories of them from now on. It was bittersweet, all of these great times I have shared with my parents; these happy memories, were only memories and I could no longer gain any more. This would be the last memory I could share.

The memory of them joining each other in the afterlife, possibly looking over me from above, but for me, they're just becoming a piece of earth. An infinite location for me to visit and mourn whenever I would feel lonely.

I looked down; the caskets have officially touched the bottom of the hole, and the men began to shovel dirt into the hole, the soft thuds hitting the wood. I could feel the tears threatening to spill from my eyes, but I tried to hold them back. I found myself carefully rubbing the stitches that plagued my eyebrow, the scar that would remain. I needed to keep myself together right now.

"Goodbye, mom and dad," I whispered softly, "Thank you for everything…" The hole was full now, and most of the people who were here earlier had gone away. I found the reverend looking at me benevolently, and I looked away.

I felt like I was suffocating here. It was too much.

I quickly began walking away from my parents' new home to my car. Every one was convinced that I would be too distraught to get in a car so quickly after the accident that took the lives of my parents. But for the moment, it was a perfect place for sanctuary.

As I slid behind the steering wheel, I found myself crying. It was as if I'd unleashed a river dam as all the waterworks I had been holding in pronounced itself. My chest constricted, my throat choked out quiet sobs. I couldn't stop crying, it was impossible. Everything that I had in my life had been stolen away from me, and there was nothing I could do to gain it back. It was unfair, I had did everything right in life, and this was my reward; being seventeen years old with no one in my life.

I took out my keys from my purse and stuck it into the ignition. I turned slightly onto the key and my car roared to life. There was absolutely nothing holding me back at this point; I put my car into drive, and drove wherever the road would take me.

I'm going to leave Rosewood.

And I'm never coming back.

* * *

**Author's Note: I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for the longest time, but I had always thought that something like this was too dark for me to write, so I never wrote it out. But I got some inspiration the other night and decided to give it my best. I apologize that it's too short, but it's only a prologue; something to set the tone of the rest of the story. I'll update as soon as I can. I hope that this prologue is up to satisfactory. Please leave behind a comment / review if you've got the time. Thank you so much for stopping by and reading, I appreciate it more than you know.**

**Until next time, everyone...**


	2. Chapter One

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Seven years later…_

"Do you want to know what's so great about coming back home, Em?" Hanna, my closest and best friend, asked as we took the exit towards Rosewood, my hometown, "Well, do you?" Her eyes left the road as she looked at me, expecting an immediate answer.

"Jesus, Hanna! Eyes on the road!" I cried as she rolled her eyes dramatically, reluctantly looking forward. I was always nervous about Hanna driving; her attention span was so short when it came to events that took up a lot of time, like our drive from California to Pennsylvania.

"Em-i-ly," She whined, annunciating each syllable, "I'm the safest driver…" I opened my mouth to disagree, but quickly shut it. On the contrary, Hanna was a pretty decent driver. "Can you answer my question now?"

I shrugged, "Is it because…" I searched my brain—flipping through the many memories I had of my hometown. There was no singular answer. "I don't know, Han. Is it because I can visit my family?"

"Aside from that, silly," Hanna began turning down some familiar streets, "This is where we grew up," She started, "Every place has a memory," A grin came across her face, "Plus, the Brew is still here, and they have the best cappuccino ever,"

"That's very true," I hummed in agreement, "Definitely one thing I missed while we were out in Cali," I peered out the window, my eyes scanned the passing trees and the recognizable older buildings, we were close to the heart of the small town. "Maybe we should make a stop by there," I suggested as Hanna took a turn onto one of the main streets of our hometown.

"_Maybe_?" She repeated, exasperatedly, "Of course! Why else would I bring it up?"

I tore my gaze from the window and looked at Hanna, "I really hope that wasn't rhetorical, because I can literally name one hundred things that you've brought up in the past that you either didn't want to talk about or didn't want to do." My tone was dripping with sarcasm and Hanna easily picked that up; she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, you're exaggerating anyways,"

"You're right," I offered. I smirked, "One hundred is considerably incorrect. It's probably closer to two hundred,"

Hanna reached over and lightly punched my shoulder, "You're such a meanie,"

"Says the woman who punched me…" I murmured.

Hanna rolled her eyes once again, "It was with love," She said, smiling slightly. We were only a few blocks from The Brew at this point as we passed our old high school; Rosewood High School, home of the Sharks. "God, the memories from high school…" Hanna started, "Do you talk to talk to anyone from there?"

I shook my head, "Not really. I tried to keep in contact with Spencer and Aria," I started, suddenly feeling guilty, "But… that kind of… didn't work out as well,"

Hanna nodded understandingly, "Stuff happens. I didn't keep in tough with them either," She parked along the curb of the Brew, "Ready for the best damn cappuccino in this country?"

"Of course," I laughed, unbuckling my seatbelt, "Are you paying or am I?"

She looked at me for a second, "As much as I would like you to pay," she began, unbuckling her own seatbelt, "You've been paying for all the gas, I'll buy," She smirked.

I laughed, opening the car door, "Your chivalry is too much, Han," I got up, and stretched my legs. I'd been sitting for way too long, "I have to pay $200 for gas, and you only pay five bucks for my drink," I shut the door.

"I don't have to pay, you know?" She walked towards me, locking her car, "But I'm feeling kind,"

"I'm so grateful,"

We walked together to the door of the Brew, and it's exactly as I remembered it; hardwood floors and tables, the fresh smell of coffee, the dimmed lighting. I smiled, the first feel of familiarity and officially being home.

We approached the counter, and the barista smiled gracefully, "Welcome to the Brew," she said, youth enlacing her voice, "What can I help you with today?"

"I'd like two cappuccino chiaros," Hanna ordered politely.

"Coming right up,"

"Thank you,"

The place wasn't full at all, there were a few people, and perhaps they were same age I was when I first came here. Which, I could tell you, was a good nine or ten years ago. But, the Brew had barely changed since – of course to stay a bit modern, they had added neon signs, and updated espresso machines, but nonetheless, it was the same 'ol place.

"Here you go," Said the barista, handing us the cups, "That'll be ten dollars even,"

Hanna fished out a crisp ten-dollar bill from her purse and handed it to her, "Thanks again," We walked over to our usual table, which was still in tact, tucked away in the corner of the café. We sat down, "Feels like high school again," She said, taking a long sip of her cappuccino, "_God_, that's good,"

I took a sip of my own drink, and nodded in agreement. I had definitely missed this. California was amazing, but hands-down, Rosewood had the best espressos. I truly was happy to be back here. California was all about the city, the fast life—traffic and partying, it was fun, especially through my college years… and with Hanna with me. We had a blast—did so many things I wouldn't have even dreamed about being in Rosewood. But, being back here brought me back to reality.

I sighed happily, taking another sip, "Did you tell anyone that we're coming back?"

Hanna shook her head 'no', "You know how much I like surprises,"

I narrowed my eyes, "You don't like surprises,"

"Well, now, I suddenly do,"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her, "So, no one here knows that we're here,"

"Nope," Hanna said, popping the 'p', and taking another sip of her beverage. "Did _you _tell anyone?"

Sounding like a hypocrite, I said, "No,"

"See, you like surprises as well," We finished our cappuccinos in a comfortable silence, "You ready?" I nodded, "So am I, you've gonna give Mama Fields a heart attack,"

"I'm sure that I won't," I said, "It's only been…" I racked through my memories, trying to find the last time I had actually visited my mother, "Oh my god," Hanna looked at me knowingly, "How has it been two years already?"

"College?" Hanna suggested, standing up, "I mean, we finished up our master degrees, and we did have a lifetime worth of fun,"

I stood up, "But _two_ years?"

She shrugged, "Well, you can start making it up when you see her again,"

"I guess," We walk out of the café, "So, drop me off at home?" I asked, as we walked to Hanna's Toyota.

"You know," Hanna started, as she opened up her door, "I'm really going to miss having you attached at my hip,"

I smiled gently, getting in the car, "Me too, you're like the sister I never had,"

Hanna smiled, "Aw, thanks, Em,"

"Plus, I'm sure that my time away from you will give you time to have a little rendezvous with Caleb,"

Hanna blushed, "Shut up," She said jokingly, turning over the ignition in her car. She drove us down the main street of town, into the neighborhoods. She passed all the houses that we used to visit—our friends' houses. Something caught my eye.

"Hanna! Stop!"

She screeched to a abrupt stop, "What?!"

"I'm sorry," I apologized quickly; looking out the window, "Look," I pointed at the abandoned house, "Did you see that?"

"What?" She looked in the direction I was pointing, "I don't see anything,"

My eyes scanned the untamed yard of the McCullers estate before they died, "I could've sworn that I saw something," I continued looking, "I saw someone in the yard, I know it,"

"Okaaaay," Hanna said, "Em, we haven't really slept for a good three days or so, maybe this is your mind telling you that you need more sleep,"

"I know what I saw,"

I stared more intently, and I saw faint movement, "Em, look, if there's something or someone there, it's none of our business,"

"But…" Hanna had a point. "You're right,"

She started driving again, "You really need some sleep, Em," She said, as we drove past the house. But that's when I saw it…

Or should I say, when I saw _her._

* * *

_**Author's Note: Welcome back! I'm here with another update. I present to you: CHAPTER ONE ! Exciting, right? Well, I spent most of my night writing through this chapter. It's definitely a lighter, fluffier chapter, probably much more than I anticipated, but I'm generally a really optimistic and bright person. I hope that everyone can enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next chapter. If you have ideas that you'd like to share, don't hesitate to shoot them to me (not literally, I don't wanna be hit by words, maybe). Please leave a review behind if you'd like. Thanks for stopping by.**_

_**Until next time..**_


	3. Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Emily!" My mother cried as she tightly grasped me in my arms, "I can't believe you're here!" I could hear the happiness beaming in her voice; I couldn't help but to smile. It was so good to be back, and I had most certainly missed the motherly embrace while I was away, "I missed you so much,"

I hugged my mom back, "I missed you too," I said, and I felt her arms tighten around me as if I were going to float away. I laughed quietly at the gesture, "Mom, I can't breathe,"

She loosened her grip, "Sorry, Em. It has just been so long since you last visited." She tried not to sound sad, but I could hear it loud and clear, "I'm just glad to have you back," With that statement, she let go of me, "Want me to help you with your bags?"

I shook my head, "I have it, mom, but thanks," Picking up my two duffle bags, I walked into my childhood home. It was the same as when I last visited, the same as I've grown up through. It felt like home; like it never changed. I felt welcomed at home—a house full of incessant love.

I took the stairs up to my room, which still looked similar to how it was when I was in high school, only, less trophies, banners, and photos of my then-friends. Overall, it was the same, and I was happy. I threw my duffle bags on my bed, and then I yawned. Hanna was right; it really has been a good three days since I had a nice night of rest. The driving required me to be awake most of the night to keep an eye on Hanna, and when I could sleep, I was restless. Car seats were unnecessarily uncomfortable.

"Do you need anything, Emmy?" I heard my mom ask, I turned around. My mom stood happily at the frame of my door.

"Nope, I think I have everything," I sat on my bed, "Thanks for keeping my room,"

My mother laughed wholeheartedly, "I was thinking of turning it into an exercise room," She mused, a smile on her face, "But then I was like 'if I do that, Emily would probably use that more than me'"

I laughed, "Trust me, mom, I don't even exercise as much as I used to,"

"Oh really?" She quirked, "So, I could beat you at swimming now?"

I only laughed harder, "I'm out of shape, but not _that _out of shape,"

She sat down beside me, "This is a really nice surprise," She draped an arm around my shoulders, "I'm so glad to have you back home, honey,"

"I know, mom, and it really does feel good to be back," I said, "I missed you so much while I was away,"

She pulled me closer, "But now you're here. How long are you staying?"

I shrugged, "As long as you'd like me here."

My mom smiled at me; I think it was nearly impossible for her not to smile, which I didn't mind at all. "I think I should let you sleep now; you look really tired, I can see bags,"

"It was really hard to sleep," I said sheepishly, "I'm surprised that I can even function,"

"Well, you're here now, get plenty of rest, okay, honey?" I nodded, "Just let me know if you need anything," I nodded once again, and she removed her arm from around my shoulders.

As she got up, "Thanks mom," I said, she only smiled, as soon as she was about to walk out from my room, I stopped her. "Mom,"

"Yes, hon?"

"Does anyone live where the McCullers lived?"

She shook her head, "It's been abandoned for… maybe six or seven years now?"

"Are you sure? Like no one has been there since?"

She shrugged, "I don't know who would be there, the McCullers died in that accident… and their daughter—"

"Paige," I filled in, remembering her name as clear as day.

"Yes, Paige… no one knows what happened to her after the funeral," She explained, "She literally left without a trace,"

"Hm,"

"Why do you ask?"

I opted to tell her, "No reason," I answered, nonchalant, "We passed the house on the way here, I was curious,"

She nodded, taking my answer without further question, "Sleep well, okay?" She closed the door behind her and I was left in my quiet sanctuary.

I know that I saw someone… I know that I saw _Paige_, I know it. She didn't have the short red hair that I remembered her with, and she certainly didn't have the same sense of style, but I know that face, and it belonged to her. But, I couldn't figure out… why she's back after all of these years away.

I lay back on my bed; I remember the intensity of her eyes, the confidence that she emitted every time she dove into the swimming pool. The cocky smirks she would give me each time we passed each other in the hallways.

But, no one has seen her since her parents' funeral.

And there's no way that I could've seen her if no one else had.

Right?

I mean, after all of this time, these seven years since that tragic day… _no one _knows what happened to her, or where she is. And, I see her? That seems like make believe. I don't even know how she looked like now. She could have long hair, no hair, the same hairstyle—She could even be dead for all I know.

I know that… It must've been Paige there.

Who else would be there? I know that no one else has been around there, so, who else?

I yawned. It's been a long night. There's a possibility that Hanna was right. But… damn it, I know I saw someone. I closed my eyes; the older memories of Paige filling my subconscious mind.

Why come back?

* * *

"Where is that damn key?" I asked myself as I picked up, yet another rock from the front yard of my house. I had been searching through the many rocks that have somehow ended up in the yard. I'm not searching for the hell of it, though. A few years ago, I taped the house key to a rock.

But, when I was seventeen, I wasn't thinking clearly.

Why would I_ ever_ tape a key to a rock? I mean, back then, that idea seemed brilliant; you know, if I was leaving for a week or so, not seven years. Now, all of these rocks had been added to the few rocks that were there before, and the untrimmed yard was a bonus… that I definitely did not want.

I groaned to myself, shrugging the straps of my backpack up my shoulders, "Come on, Paige, where would you put it?" I closed my eyes, thinking back to my seventeen-year-old mind. I opened my eyes, "_of course,_" I said to myself, taking the few steps up to the door. I searched underneath the old lawn chair that sat on the porch, my fingers touched a cool rock. I picked it up and flipped it to its opposite side.

"Gotcha," I said as I peeled the key from the back of the rock. I walked quickly to the door, unlocking it, closing it behind me as I slipped in.

I sighed.

This house was exactly as it was the night before the funeral. Except for the massive dust and the winterized odor. To be honest, I only came back because I ran out of places to go. There wasn't much left in this town that I could actually enjoy, the memories had became too much for me to bear. But this house was still my home.

"Maybe I should clean up around here," I mumbled, taking the backpack off and settling it on the hardwood floors, which were also covered with a coating of dust. I sighed once more; I was nostalgic.

Being home should be about happiness, but I was only standing in an empty house.

I walked around the house absentmindedly, I couldn't think too much right now. I went to the kitchen, "I wonder if…" I walked to the refrigerator, "No, I really shouldn't," I touched the handle hesitantly, but I couldn't bring myself to open it. I knew that there had to be mold in the fridge after all of these years. I don't think I could stomach the stench.

I leaned my back against the granite countertops. No one can know that I'm living here. I can't face the people of Rosewood—I can't face the constant questions I know that they will be dying to ask, I just can't.

The death of mom and dad really affected me; it changed me. I wasn't the same person I was then—I never would be. I was broken. It wasn't hard to admit that—it was pretty obvious. I'll even be honest to say that I haven't smiled since the funeral, and laughing was really out of the question. There was nothing to laugh for, nothing to be happy for.

There was nothing in my life.

I rubbed my hands over my face; it's been a very long day. Sneaking back into town was really a hassle. The whole "be incognito act" wasn't my best thing. But I managed, except for—I groaned inwardly—someone saw me.

Emily Fields saw me. I think she saw me. I caught a glimpse of her in a car, I know that she saw me, but I'm not sure if she recognized me. My tussled hair had grown past my shoulders, I was much thinner and less toned, and my clothes were beyond worn out. I'm sure that I could've been mistaken.

I certainly hoped that I was.

I yawned loudly. I needed rest more than anything. I walked towards the front door and picked up my backpack. I swung it over my shoulders quickly before heading upstairs. The walls were still filled with pictures of my family— up until their death of course. I walked into my old room.

It literally was the same was I left it; unmade bed, clothes all over the floor, homework sitting on my desk. I dropped my bag on to the floor, and lifelessly laid in my bed. I turned on my side and curled my knees into my chest.

No one could understand how I felt.

I could feel the tears rolling down my face; I'm surprised that I could still cry after all of this time, all of these years since their death. It still affected me as if it happened yesterday. I closed my eyes; maybe sleep could help me. Hopefully, I won't dream about the accident again, and I'll have a night full of dreamless slumber.

Hopefully.

* * *

_**Author's Note: Hi everyone! Here's chapter two. I'm going to apologize early for any mistakes, I literally just wrote this while I was watching Iron Man, so I hope that it's satisfactory. I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews and support (and the favorites and follows)! It really means a lot to me that you enjoy this story so much, so I'll update this as much as I can. I don't want to keep you guys waiting so long.**_

_**Well, the next chapter should be up soon, maybe a few days or so depending on how much time I have to spare. Anyways, thank you so much for stopping by, leave a review if you have the time to do so.**_

_**Until next time, ladies and gents...**_


	4. Chapter Three

**CHAPTER THREE**

I jolted awake; a thin sheet of sweat covered my skin, my breath was labored, and my heart was racing. The image of my parents was burned into the back of my eyes, and I felt the pain of not having them in my life anymore intensify with each increasing second of the day.

"Oh God," I cried into the darkness, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. I closed my eyes; I already knew that sleep was out of the question, there was no way that I could possibly calm myself down from this sudden burden that plagued me just about every night.

You would think that seven years was plenty of time for someone to find peace with death—understand that death is inevitable, even if you don't agree with its timing. But I just _couldn't. _I can't go a single day without thinking of them; I can't go a single night without dreaming of them. I just couldn't find peace with their death no matter how hard I tried; it's like I have this itch that I can't get rid of.

I sighed loudly.

The day I'd find peace, we'll never know.

When I finally cracked open my eyes, I noticed a bit of orange crossing over into the darkness, allowing me to assume that it was around six or seven in the morning, or possibly somewhere in between. I would eventually need to get up and get something to eat since there is nothing to eat here; nothing that hasn't expired long ago, that is.

But I couldn't go out there. I couldn't go out in Rosewood. People would recognize me, people would ask questions.

I rolled over in my bed; the sheets had an odor to them, a mixture of being unwashed before I left here years ago and from sitting up for all the years I wasn't here.

If I left the house right now, when hardly anyone's awake, let alone on a weekend, I could possibly get away with buying a few things from the store. I'm positive that most of the teenaged workers that were there back in high school were long gone. I found myself sighing once more.

"Come on, Paige" I commanded myself, sitting upright, "Come on…" I swung my feet on the side on my bed, my feet lightly touching the hardwood floors of my room. The feeling of waking up in my own room seemed so surreal.

I stood up and carefully walked over to where I took my shoes off, bending down to slip them on quickly. Beside my shoes rested my backpack, and I unzipped it, pulling out the first item that lay on top; my black hoodie. I slipped it over my head, and adjusted it to fit properly against my body. It was definitely an old hoodie, probably one of the first things I bought as I was on my own. The color had faded, and there were one or two holes that I picked at when I found myself getting nervous.

I left my room, and quickly rushed down the stairs. The sun was starting to rise as outside became more illuminated by the minute, which meant that I needed to hurry. I pocketed the house key and opened up the door, leaving the house.

The light breeze of late September greeted me as I descended down the couple steps of the house. I could still remember where things were in this town since it's barely changed since I was last here. I walked down the street quickly; the grocery store wasn't too far from my house.

In a matter of five minutes, I was standing in front of Rosewood's only grocery store. I pulled open the door into the store. No one was here yet aside from the workers, who appeared to not recognize me. I had a sigh of relief. Good.

I only needed a couple necessities; a jug of water and a few bags of jerky. I easily found them on the aisles, and went over to check out.

"Did you find everything that you needed today?"

I nodded quietly as the employee scanned each item.

"Okay, ma'am, that'll be fifteen dollars and fifteen cents," I handed him a twenty dollar bill, "Out of twenty,"

"I don't need change," I said, grabbing the two bags of groceries, "Thank you,"

I left the store quickly and started heading back to the house. I felt a sense of triumph as I walked out, that was smoother than I—

"Paige?" I didn't turn around; I could recognize that voice from anywhere. "Paige…"

"I think you've mistaken," I said weakly, feeling my blood run cold. I start to walk off quickly, but I felt a hand grasp my arm. I looked up at the bronze girl in front of me, "Please let go…"

Her eyes met mine and she already knew that I was lying, but she didn't let go. She was wearing running gear almost like she did when we used to run in high school, her dark hair was pulled back into a messy bun. Her voice remained the same, "Paige," She said once more, more sternly.

Of all people, why did it have to be Emily Fields?

I jerked my arm out of her grasp, "I can't deal with this now, and I can't deal with you, or anyone for that matter, okay?" I said, "Don't tell anyone I'm here," I could tell that she wanted to add her opinion, but I stopped her, "Please, Emily,"

"If you don't want anyone to know that you're back, then why even be here?" She asked softly, and I couldn't find an answer for her.

"To avoid questions like that," I said softly, walking off from the raven-haired girl who was once my best friend.

* * *

_**Author's Note: I've have been writing my ass off, I tell you. Thanks for all of the kind reviews and all of the favorites and follows, everyone, I really appreciate it. Much more than you know. Hopefully you can enjoy this chapter; it's a bit short, kind of a filler for the upcoming chapter. If you have the time to leave behind a review, please do! **_

_**Until next time..**_


End file.
